New Norms – Everybody is doing it

Looking around a crowded subway train during homebound rush hour this week I noticed just about everyone was looking down at an iphone or kindle… playing games, reading emails, ebooks, etc.

A 2+ child’s father held the iphone as she used her tiny finger on it to entertain. Dad held a Kindle in his other hand. Whats going on here? Except for the 2 year old, everyone slumped forward head hanging off their spine using a ‘device of distraction’ to keep their mind busy on the long commute home. Everyone is doing it: Distracting themselves, avoiding eye contact, continuing to work, and basically letting their mind rule their bodies. Why do we do this I wonder?

Imagine what would happen if everyone sat up tall, lifted their head over their shoulders, closed their eyes and began to breathe … slowly, quietly, counting or not, the inhales and exhales. I am sure that would be enough to suppress their tired restless minds and relax the neck muscles until the next stop. Perhaps, if that felt good, maybe doing it to the the stop after that, and after that, it would become a ‘practice’.

But then this would be doing yoga, right? Every one should be doing it.

I wonder how much better the ride would be, how much more quickly the same problems would get solved, how much nicer dinner and a nights sleep would be. Might we all get home safe and happier? Don’t know until you try.